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The meatloaf for four at M. Wells is "napped in stroganoff gravy and served with spaetzle and knuckles of foie gras. It is a ridiculous dish, a perfect meal," says Sam Sifton. "Also first-rate: a plate of veal brains that displayed the sort of sauté skills generally associated only with the very highest level of classical French cooking." [NYT]

V-Nam Cafe's "catfish in a crock combines the best of Vietnamese and French cooking, but skip the dull chicken curry," says Robert Sietsema in his cartoon-style review. "Cheap and charming, V-Nam is better than bigger places with giant menus." [VV]

The burratina at Saro "fights to delight, filling a homemade mozzarella shell with ricotta. Unfortunately a stringy texture ruins the outer layer," says Lauren Shockey. "While the doughnuts capture the sugary bliss of a dinner's end, you'll likely forget the others (and, really, most of the meal) by the time you turn the corner after leaving the restaurant. [Balkan food] is damn bland." [VV]Related:First Look at Saro, Bringing 'Cuisine of Long Lost Empires' to the Lower East Side

Pier 9 offers "ceviche of raw salmon in big chunks with orange and citrus oil, lively chopped razor clams with bits of olive, cilantro and mint, then stuffed into their canoe-like shells, and my favorite, crispy shrimp tacos," writes Gael Greene. "Mac and cheese [is] definitely an exaggeration. Half a dozen pasta rings filled with a fondue of cheddar, fontina, parmesan, cream cheese and cream with a curl of lobster on top does not satisfy the craving for that icon." [Insatiable Critic]